Gen Zer consumers say they feel misunderstood by marketing campaigns and are skeptical about brands' purposeful initiatives. With their purchasing power expected to increase and a tendency for values-based spending, honesty and authenticity are increasingly important in engaging younger cohorts.

What do younger generations consider to be aspirational? Amid rising environmental concerns and an acute awareness of how purchasing choices reflect one’s personal brand, there’s a new landscape for coolness that has nothing to do with novelty. Now, Gen Yers and Zers are asking: ‘will it last?’

How are Gen Zers cultivating their digital identities outside of mainstream social channels? In what ways do their discussions about mental health differ from past cohorts? How are they disrupting traditional modes of investing? And why is nostalgic content so popular with younger audiences?

Skincare aficionados may have spent the best part of the 2010s championing K-beauty, but amid the uncertainty of the pandemic, Japanese rituals have gained fresh relevance around the world. How is J-beauty balancing old and new wisdom to meet evolving consumer needs?